< Job 15 >

1 But Eliphaz the Themanite, answering, said:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
2 Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking wind, and will he fill his stomach with fire?
Doth a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill [with] an east wind his belly?
3 You rebuke with words he who is not equal to you, and you speak what is not expedient for you,
To reason with a word not useful? And speeches — no profit in them?
4 to such an extent that, within yourself, you have expelled reverence and have taken away prayers from the presence of God.
Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.
5 For your iniquity has mislead your mouth, and you imitate the tongue of blasphemers.
For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.
6 Your own mouth will condemn you, not I; and your own lips will answer you.
Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.
7 Are you the first man who was born, or were you formed before the hills?
The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?
8 Have you heard the intentions of God, and will his wisdom be inferior to you?
Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?
9 What do you know, about which we are ignorant? What do you understand that we do not know?
What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou — and it is not with us?
10 There are with us both aged and ancient men, even more senior than your fathers.
Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us — Greater than thy father [in] days.
11 Is it so important that God should console you? But your own depraved words prevent this.
Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word [is] with thee,
12 Why does your heart exalt you, and why do you gaze with your eyes, as if thinking great things?
What — doth thine heart take thee away? And what — are thine eyes high?
13 Why does your spirit stir against God, so as to utter such speeches from your mouth?
For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy mouth:
14 What is man that he should be immaculate, and that he should appear just, having been born of woman?
What [is] man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?
15 Behold, among his holy ones not one is immutable, and even the heavens are not pure in his sight.
Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.
16 How much more abominable and useless is the man who drinks as if from the water of iniquity?
Also — surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking as water perverseness.
17 I will reveal to you, so listen to me; and I will explain to you what I have seen.
I shew thee — hearken to me — And this I have seen and declare:
18 The wise acknowledge, and they do not leave behind, their fathers,
Which the wise declare — And have not hid — from their fathers.
19 to whom alone the earth has been given, and no stranger passed among them.
To them alone was the land given, And a stranger passed not over into their midst:
20 The impious is arrogant for all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain.
'All days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.
21 The sound of terror is always in his ears; and when there is peace, he always suspects treason.
A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace doth a destroyer come to him.
22 He does not believe that it is possible for him to be turned from darkness into the light, for he sees around him the sword on every side.
He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched [is] he for the sword.
23 When he moves himself to seek bread, he knows that the day of darkness has been prepared for his hand.
He is wandering for bread — 'Where [is] it?' He hath known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.
24 Tribulation will terrify him, and anguish will prevail over him, like a king who is being prepared to go to battle.
Terrify him do adversity and distress, They prevail over him As a king ready for a boaster.
25 For he has extended his hand against God, and he has strengthened himself against the Almighty.
For he stretched out against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.
26 He has rushed against him with his throat exposed, and he has been armed with a fat neck.
He runneth unto Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.
27 Thickness has covered his face, and lard hangs down from his sides.
For he hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over [his] confidence.
28 He has lived in desolate cities and deserted houses, which have been turned into tombs.
And he inhabiteth cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.
29 He will not be enriched, nor will his basic necessities endure, nor will he establish his root in the earth.
He is not rich, nor doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.
30 He will not withdraw from the darkness; the flame will burn up his branches, and he will be defeated by the breath of his own mouth.
He turneth not aside from darkness, His tender branch doth a flame dry up, And he turneth aside at the breath of His mouth!
31 He will not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he could be redeemed at any price.
Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.
32 Before his time is completed, he will pass into ruin and his hands will wither away.
Not in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green.
33 He will be wounded like a grapevine, when its cluster is in first flower, and like an olive tree that casts off its flower.
He shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom.
34 For the congregation of the hypocrites is fruitless, and fire will devour the tabernacles of those who love to accept money.
For the company of the profane [is] gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.
35 He has conceived sorrow, and he has brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepares deceit.
To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit.

< Job 15 >